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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Gautam Malkani

‘It’s not just about circling things on a map’: how our journalists use and corroborate satellite imagery

A composite of satellite imagery of western Myanmar and photographs of Rohingya fleeing and members of the Arakan army.
A composite of satellite imagery of western Myanmar and photographs of Rohingya fleeing and members of the Arakan army. Composite: Prina Shah for the Guardian / Vantor / AP

How to bear witness when you can’t physically go there? Journalists have always grappled with this. Whether it’s because of armed conflict, repressive regimes or prohibitive terrain, some places remain too dangerous or difficult for reporters to access.

Enter low-orbit satellites. As the technology has evolved and proliferated, satellite imagery has become increasingly indispensable. But as with all reporting tools, it requires professional judgment and painstaking work to verify things.

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